Binder for magazines and the like



ay 24, 1966 W. M. QUARTON ETAL 3,252,462

BINDER FOR MAGAZINES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. '7, 1964 Mil/4M M Q04F74/VBY v AM firm/mama .bone.

United States Patent 3,252,462 BINDER FOR MAGAZINES AND THE LIKE WilliamM. Quarton and Robert D. Riley, both of Madison, Wis., assignors toDemco Library Supplies, Incorporated, Madison, Wis., a corporation ofWisconsin Filed Jan. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 336,236 1 Claim. (Cl. 129-38)This invention relates to a binder for magazines and the like.

The invention is concerned with the construction of a so-called backboneand the manner in which the backbone is attached to the back of thebinder. The backbone comprises a relatively rigid channel-shaped memberwhich is usually made of metal but may be made of any other appropriatematerial. It is 'provided at its ends with heads, one of which pivotallysupports a binding bar which has a free end detachably engaged with andordinarily locked or otherwise secured to the head at the other end ofthe backbone.

The channel-shaped member between the two heads is completely enclosedin a plastic sheath which has inverted channels embracing the respectiveflanges of the back- These flange-enclosing channels are connected by aweb which crosses the bottom of the backbone. The sheath has externalflanges which project laterally in opposite directions from the backboneand are connected with the cove-r in any desired manner, as by-heatsealing or adhesive or stitching, heat sealing being preferred if thematerials used are appropriate. When the backbone is assembled with thesheath, the sheath provides a complete lining for the interior of thebackbone from one head to the other. Thus, with the sheath anchored tothe back portion of the cover, the backbone is securely centered in thecover.

An insert of sponge rubber or the like is fitted into the lined backboneand it may be adhered thereto, although, particularly if made slightlyoversize and pushed into place, no other connection is needed.

When thebinding bar is released and pivoted to its open position, thebight of a pamphlet or magazine to be bound can be placed on the spongerubber pad within the backbone, whereupon it will become clamped betweenthe retaining bar and the pad when the retaining bar is returned to itsclosed or locked position.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a preferred embodiment of abinder incorporating the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail view in perspective fragmentarily showingthe open binder, the backbone and its sheath being exposed and portionsof the sheath being broken away.

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged detail view in perspective fragmentarilyillustrating the sheath per se.

FIG. 4 is a still further enlarged detail view taken in cross section onthe line IVIV of FIG. 2.

The jacket 5 comprises a pair of covers 6 and 8 wh ch may comprise asingle sheet of appropriate flexible material or, as in the presentinstance, may comprise two separate sheets of different materials joinedat seam 10 by heat sealing or otherwise, the cover 8 and the backextension 12 thereof being opaque and the cover 6 being transparent.

The back portion 12 of the jacket embraces a backbone which is fixedthereto as hereinafter described and includes a relatively rigid channel16 having a bottom Web 18 and upstanding laterally spaced flanges 20.The channel 16 is closed at its ends by heads 22 and 24 which positionthe binding bar 26. This bar is pivoted in a known manner to the head 22as by pintle 23 for oscillation between the clamping positions shown inFIG. 2 to and beyond the dotted line position illustrated in that icefigure. In accordance with conventional practice, means is desirablyprovided at the head 24 for locking the end portion 28 of the bindingba-r releasably to the head 24. Since the particular locking means formsno part of the present invention, and locking means of various types arein common use, the details of the locking means are not here disclosedbut the key slot 25 is shown.

In order to connect the channel 20 to the portion 12 of the jacket, thebackbone includes a sheath which is pre-formed, desirably by extrudingplastic, the sheath 30 per se being fragmentarily illustrated in FIG. 3.The sheath is designed to fit the channel 16. It comprises a Web portion32 which is in face contact with the whole inner surface of web 18 ofchannel 16. The sheath further comprises inverted channeled side members34 which embrace both sides and the top margins of the respectiveflanges 20 and terminate in oppositely projecting flange portions 36which lie on, and are permanently connected with, the back portion-12 ofthe jacket, between the covers 6 and 8. In the instant device, both thejacket and the sheath are made of heat scalable plastic material so itis convenient to provide a heat sealed connection at 38 between thesheath and the jacket.

Within the backbone, we provide a cushion 40 which is conveniently madeof sponge rubberor the like and compressed when pushed into the sheathedchannel 20. It does not require adhesive and, consequently, it isimmaterial whether adhesive is used to secure the cushion in place.

In the use of the device, a magazine or pamphlet 42 is opened centrallyat its bight 44, as best shown in FIG. 4, and is engaged beneath thebinding bar 26. When the bar is restored to the position shown in fulllines in FIG. 2 and its end portion 28 is fixed within the head 24, thework 42 is clamped between the binding bar and the yieldable cushion 40.The magazine may readily be opened to any desired page withoutdisplacing it from its position in clamped connection with the backboneand between the covers of the jacket.

Assuming that one of the covers is made of transparent plastic, as shownat 6, any printing on the cover of the pamplet will be clearly visible,even in the closed position in which the jacket cover 6 is shown in FIG.1.

The sheath can be made of plastic material comparable to that used inmaking portions 3 and 12 of the jacket and, consequently, it is not onlyan attractive means of finishing the backbone consistently with thejacket, but it also serves as a simple and unusually effective means ofanchoring the backbone permanently to the jacket in a position fromwhich it cannot shift in use. The sheath is the same length as thechannel 16 and, consequently, the ends of the sheath are in abutmentwith the heads 22 and 24 of the backbone, thus precluding relativelongitudinal displacement. The heat sealed connection at 38 between theflanges 36 of the sheath and the back portion 12 of the jacket precludesany lateral displacement of the backbone.

The cushion 40, coacting with the binding bar 26, is a particularlyeffective means of clamping the work releasably to the backbone.Regardless of the thickness of the magazine or pamphlet which is to bebound, the cushion 40 will yield under the thrust of the bar 26 and itsresilience will maintain a secure clamping engagement with the bight ofthe work.

We claim:

A binder for work such as magazines and pamphlets folded to comprise abight, said binder comprising a jacket having a back portion and covers,a backbone consisting of a substantially rigid channeled memberextending longitudinally of the back portion between the covers andhaving upstanding flanges and heads at =3 the ends of the channeledmember, a sheath of extruded plastic enveloping said member and havinglateral flanges extending in opposite directions therefrom along saidback portion, said sheath lining the interior of the channeled member,and means connecting said lateral flanges of the sheath to said backportion for anchoring the backbone, the backbone including a binding barpivoted at one end to one of said heads at one end of the backbone andreleasably engaged at its other end to the other head at the other endof the backbone, said bar being receivable into the bight of the workand constituting means for clamping the work to the backbone, and acushion of resiliently yieldable compressed sponge materialsubstantially filling the channel within the sheath lining the interiorthereof and under lateral pressure between the upstanding flanges of thebackbone to retain same therein and providing a clamping means coactingwith said bar in the anchoring to the binder of the bight of work placedI therein.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 286,694 10/1883Goodwin 129--38 678,438 7/1901 Schmid 12938 806,861 12/1905 Wolf 281-19840,979 1/1907 Whetham 129-38 1,088,269 2/1914 Folger 12938 1,655,0171/1928 Leahy 28119 1,889,536 11/1932 Buchan 12938 2,486,253 10/1949Bresler 12939 FOREIGN PATENTS 642,066 6/1962 Canada. 249,643 5/ 1948Switzerland.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

JEROME SCHNALL, CLYDE I. COUGHENOUR,

Examiners.

